Daniel Sanders wins 2025 Dakar Rally

Daniel Sanders has won the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, joining Toby Price as one of only two Australian riders to do so.  

The Red Bull KTM rider led the 2025 edition from start to finish, a record not achieved since Marc Coma’s victory in 2009. 

Hailing from the Sander's Apple Orchard in Three Bridges, Victoria, Sanders secured the overall victory for the first time in five attempts. He finished fourth in 2021, but struggled with injuries and crashes in the years that followed. 

His 2025 race was a comparatively easy affair, with Spanish Honda pilot Toscha Schareina the only rider to get close to the overall lead. 

But the historic win is not to be underestimated, with the Dakar Rally presenting an extreme physical and mental challenge for anyone who participates. 

“When I came out of the dunes, I could see the bivouac and I just got instant chills,” said Sanders after the final stage. “To win the International Six Day Enduro, and now Dakar, it’s just ticked off all the goals for my career and everything I’ve wanted to acheive. It’s a massive accomplishment.” 

The 30-year-old, who is nicknamed Chucky, finished sixth on the short final stage, but stopped the clock with an overall lead of nearly 9 minutes. Schareina finished second overall, while fellow Honda rider Adrien van Beveren was behind him in third.

Aussie Toby Hederics finished an impressive 19th overall on debut, while compatriot Andrew Houlihan withdrew after sustaining an injury during stage 6. 

Toby Price was the first Australian to win Dakar in 2016, and he repeated the feat in 2019. The only other Australian to podium was Andy Haydon in 1998. Another Aussie, Andy Caldecott, died in the 2006 edition just days after winning the third stage.